Door-operating mechanism for automobiles



C. JACKSON & E. W. MORGAN. DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION FILED MAY 12. 1915.

1,195A73. Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

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CALEB JACKSON, OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY, AND ERNEST W. MORGAN, 0E BREMER'I'ON, WASHINGTON.

DOOR-OPERATING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed May 12, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CALEB J ACKSON and ERNEST TV. MORGAN, citizens of the United States of America, the former of the United States Navy and the latter a resident of Bremerton, in the county of Kitsap and the State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door- Operating Mechanism for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to automobiles and consists of mechanism by which the doors are all placed under the control of the driver. This comprises locking devices which can only be released by the driver and mechanism by which the driver may open any one of the doors desired.

Our invention comprises the novel features of construction and combination of parts which will be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings we have shown our invention embodied in the form of construction which is now most preferred by us.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a car showing our invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through one side of the car showing the manner of disposing of the doors when open. Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the wall of the car removed and the mechanism for operating one of the doors.

By our invention the doors 1 are mounted to slide lengthwise of the car, each door be ing provided with a pocket 2 formed in the side wall of the car, into which it may be retracted. A series of rollers 3 are provided upon which the door travels.

The actuating mechanism as illustrated, consists of a lever A which is pivoted at one end 10 and has its other end connected by a link 41 with the door. A spring 5 connects it at one end with the lever and at its other end with a fixed support, normally maintains the door in closed position. Such mechanism is duplicated for each door. Each lever has secured thereto a cord 6.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, rare.

Serial No. 27,551.

which passes about suitable guide pulleys 60, so located as to lead the cord to a position which is conveniently accessible to the driver. Such position as herein shown is that corresponding to the location of the front door at the side occupied by the driver. A door at this point, if provided, is seldom used and may, without inconvenience, be permanently closed. The cords 6, for the doors on the right hand side of theautomobile, pass under the body of thecar, as shown in Fig. 1. The actuating members as herein shown consist of slides having buttons 7 which project through slots 70. Each slide is connected with its respective cord 6.

Each door is provided with a catch which is automatically engaged by the door to lock it when closed. These catches are all connected to a common releasing member located in position convenient to the driver. The catch as shown, consists of a bell-crank lever 8, pivoted beneath the lower edge of the door and adaptedto engage a recess 10 formed in the bottom edge of the door. This catch is held in locking position by a spring 80. A cord 81 is connected to one end of the catch lever and extends about suitable guide pulleys S2, to a connection with a button or lever, as 9, which is herein shown as mounted upon the dash adjacent the driver. These cords 81 for the right hand doors pass under the car, and are joined in one common cord, as shown in Fig. 3, so that all the doors maybe unlatched simultaneously.

By the above described mechanism the driver has complete control over all the doors. The doors are positively locked against opening until released by the driver. WVhile the doors may be opened by hand after being unlocked, they can only be unlocked by the driver.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America, is:

In an automobile having a sliding door and a recess into which said door may be retracted, an operating mechanism therefor comprising a lever movable in the plane of beneath the path of the door, and means for the door and pivoted by one end beyond manually actuating said lever.

the farthest limits of retraction of the door, Signed at Seattle, Washington this 28th the upper end of said lever being actuatively day of April 1915.

connected to the door, a spring secured to said lever between its ends and extending CALEB JACKSON. toward the entrance aperture for the door ERNEST W. MORGAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthc Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. r 

